Rule on Natural Gas Rate Hikes is Fuel for Debate

Posted by Leigh Evans on January 13, 2015

Texas Tribune - State regulators say they have found a way to lower Texans’ natural gas utility bills: keep money out of lawyers’ pockets. Last month, the Texas Railroad Commission quietly approved a rule that simplifies how cities challenge rate increases for natural gas – a multimillion-dollar proposition for monopoly utilities that have no local competition.

...Public support for the rule came from two utilities — CenterPoint Energy and Texas Gas Service Company; two legal reform groups; the Texas Conservative Coalition; and state Rep. Patricia Harless, R-Spring. Last session, Harless proposed two pieces of similar legislation that failed in the committee stage after local governments loudly objected.